Rotary engine.



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No. 739,288. PATENTBD rSEPT. 22, 1903.

' J. CADOO 6L J. M. VAN WHY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION unanime. 9, 1902.

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i -T T- No. 739,288. PATBNTED SEPT. 22, 1903..

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//////////////////// l I (I ,Um-ie t'STATES Patented September 22,1903*'.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMEs H. oAooo AND JOSEPH M. VAN-WHY, or ELMIRANEW YORK.

RQTARYENGINE.

sPEcIFIcATroN forming pare or Letters Patent No. 739,288, datedseptember 2e, 1903. Application led December 9, 1902. Serial No.134,597. (No model.)

T all wiz/0m it may con/cern:

Be it known that we, JAMES H. CADOO and JOSEPH M. VAN WHY, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Ghemung andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in RotaryEngines, of which the following is a specification. p

-Our invention relates to improvements in i rotary engines, and moreparticularly pertains to that class in which a series of cylindersarranged side by side and the pistons carried thereby'are mounted on acommon shaft.

The object of our invention is to provide a rotary engine in which theexpansion of the.

steam is more eifectively'utilized than has 'heretofore beenaccomplished.

Another object of our invention is to arrange several cylinders havingpistons mounted upon a common shaft and to so arrange them that aseparate piston is being acted upon by the direct force-of. the steamduring each quarter revolution of the shaft, and thus giving acontinuous pressure indirectly to the shaft. p.

A further object of our invention is to providea rotary engine in whichall steam-pressure within the cylinder is taken o of the shaft uponwhich the pistons are mounted, .and thus reducing the resistance of thesteam on the shaft and increasing the power of the engine in comparisonwith the'steam area.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a piston composedof a vertical diskl and having blades carried thereby and a slidecarried by the cylinder adapted to be drawn upward and down at theproper instant to allow said blades to pass and havngfa valve operatedby the shaft whereby the steampressure is cut off during said raisingand lowering of theslide. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of aseries of our engines arranged upon a shaft having the differentarrangements of the vautomatic cut-offs and thepiston-'blades Fig. 2 isan endview of one of the cylinders, showing the handoperated valve forreversing the direction of the engine. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontalsectional view taken on line 22, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isan end view of one ofthe cylinders with one of the cylinder-heads removed. Fig. 5

lperiphery of the cylinder.

is a vertical sectional view of the steam-chest taken Online 3 3, Fig.l. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the pistons removed. Fig. 7 isaperspective view of the automatic cut-off whichi is located within thesteamchest. Fig. 8 is an end view of the cam carried by the shaft andshowing the operatingarrn for raising and lowering the slide., Fig.

9 vis a' perspective view of the slide looking from the opposite sidefrom that shown in Fig. 2.

teferring now to the drawings, A represents anelongated drive-shaft,which is adapted to be connected to the device to be vdriven in anydesired manner, and loosely surrounding'said shaft are four cylinders l,2, 3, and 4, although any desired number of cylinders may be used, asthis forms no part of our invention. The said cylinders are preferablymade of main or cylindrical portions B, which are supported by thecylinder-heads B', which have centrally-located openingsV b, throughwhich the shaft A is adapted to pass and freely rotate therein. The saidheads are providedwith inwardlyextending lugs or annular rings C, whichare of a length to leave a central circumferential groove or recess ctherebetween, the purpose of which we willnowproceed to explain. TheshaftA carries the pistons 5, 6, 7, and 8, which are securely lockedthereon by keysD, and said pistons are arranged respectively within thecylinders l, 2, 3, and d and are adapted' to freely rotate therein Vwiththe shaft A.

The said pistons are composed of an enlarged central portion E, which isadapted to bear against the rings C, and are pro vided with theoutwardly-extending vertically-disposed circumferential member E', whichpasses within the opening o between the inner ends of the rings C,andthus it will be seen that the inward steam-pressure is directly on therings C of the cylinder and not on the iiange ofthe piston'or shaftproper, and it will be seen that said rings C form annular steam-chestsF near the Carried by the member F.' are theoutwardly extending wings orbladesAEz, which are of a size to snugly t within the chest F and closethe same, and for the purpose of admitting the steam on both sides ofthe member E', as it is seen thatthe steam is admitted to one side ofICO the cylinder, We provide openings e and e', and thus it will bereadily seen that the pressure on the said member is equalized and willnot hinder or decrease the power of the engine. It will also be seenthat the openings c and e are arranged one on each side of the blades orwings E2 for the purpose of allowing the steam to pass on either sidethereof for the purpose of reversing the engine, as will be hereinaftermore fully described. The upper end of each of said cylinders isprovided with an upwardly-extending chamber G in communicationtherewith, and within said chamber is a slide G, which is provided witha vertical slot g, which is adapted to straddle the member E of thepiston and allow it to freely travel therein. The upper end of saidslide is provided with an upwardly-proj ecting rod g2, which passesthrough a packing G' at the upper end of the chamber 'G and by means ofwhich the slide is raised and lowered at the desired time to allow theblades or wings E2 to pass, and said slide Gr acts as a resisting pointfor the steam. Connected to the upper end of said rod g2 is a lever H,which is intermediately pivoted to the arm H', carried by the upper endof the cylinder, and connected to the opposite end of the lever ll is arod 7L, which has its lower end passing through a guide H2, carried bythe cylinder, and above said guide it is provided with a slot 7i", whichis adapted to receive the shaft ,A, and above said slot is alaterally-extending stud carrying a roller 7L', which is adapted totravel in the cam-groove h2, carried by the cam 71,3, which is keyed onthe shaft A. The said cam-groove h2 is provided with a curved portionh4, whichis adaptedto raise and drop theslide G instantaneously. Thesaid cams 7i. are rigidly connected to the shaft A and are arranged sothat but one slide is being raised at a time and that is just before thewings or blades E2 reach their respective slide. It is understood thatthere are four pistons, and the wings or blades are arranged on thequarter-that is, during each quarterrevolution of the shaft one of saidslides is raised and lowered, and steam is adjusted between it and theslide. By this arrangement it is readily seen that there is alwayssteampressure on the blades of one of the said pistous, and, in otherwords, there is a continuous direct steam-pressure on one of thepistons, so there is a continuous power given to the shaft A.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the cylinders are arranged in pairs,and the cylinders of each pair are spaced apart, and the adjacent facesof each pair of cylinders are provided at their upper ends with cut-awayportions l, and extending downwardly around the shaf t A are the twosegmental grooves J and J which have their upper ends in com- 1nunication with the cut-away portion I. The said eut-away portion .l isprovided with a transverse strip A1.', which forms a slideway i2, andextending from said slideway inwardly through the slides of the cylinderare the openings t, 7c', 7a2, and k3, and extending across said openingsis a slide K, which is adapted in either position to cover the twosteam-inlet openings 7c and 7a2, leaving either of the outer openings 7cand 7.33 in communication with the cut-away portion I, as clearly shownin Fig. 2. Connected with the slide L and extending through a packing K2in the cylinder is the operating-arm K, which is adapted to be operatedby hand. The said slide K is provided with a recess L, extending fromthe under side upwardly therein, and the side thereof adjacent thecylinder has an opening Z, communicating with the said recess L, bymeans of which the steam passes from the segmental slots or recess J andJ to the cylinder, and between said slots is the segmental solid portionJ 2, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

As before stated, the cylinders of each pair are spaced apart, andbetween said cylinders is a casing or steam-chest M, which is securedtherebetween to the sides B of the cylinder. The upper end of said chestis provided with a transverse independent passage m', which has itssides in communication with the eutaway portions I of the two cylindersforming the pair, and connected to the upper end thereof is anexhaust-pipem, which is adapted to convey the exhaust to any desiredpoint, and in communication with the side of said chest M is asteam-supply pipe m2. lVithin said steam-chest is a rotatable spool N,which is secured to the shaft A by means of the key N and which isprovided at its sides with the laterally-extending Iianges n', whichextend outwardly and iit snugly against the inner side of thesteam-chest M and against the side ICO of the cylinder and holding theslide-valve K in position. Each of said `flanges n' is provided With anopening n, which are arranged in different parts thereof in respect tothe opening carried by the opposite flange, and in the other rotaryspool or cu t-off openings are arranged at different parts in respect tothe shaft, so that at each quarter-revolutionv 4of the shaft onecylinder is taking steam, one

expanding, one exhausting, and the fourth also exhausting, but morenearly in the position to take steam as the first commences to use theexpansion of the steam. It will be seen that this is done by the rotaryspool N, as just after the slide for the respective piston has movedupwardly and downwardly the opening u in the spool comes opposite to thesegmental slot J and the steam passes up through the recess L in theslide K, and as the spool continues to rotate the opening' M comesopposite the solid portion J2 and the steam is cut oif. rlhe expansionof the steam now commences and continues until the blades E pass aroundbeyond the opening It, and the steam is then exhausted. The openings inthe spools are so arranged that one opening in one of said spools comesopposite the segmental slot J on cach quarter-revolureazssI segmentalslot J, thus allowing the steam to pass into the cylinder through theopening 7c? on the opposite side of the slide, and thus re When it isdesired to versing Athe .engine.

1o stop the engine, the slide K is drawn over to the center, andQinthisposition the recess L;

in the slide is between the two steam-supply pipes k and 7 0, and thesteam is entirely cut off from thecylinder.

I Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patl l. A rotary engine comprising a stationarycylinder, a rotary piston therein, the side of said cylinder havingsegmental steam-channels communicating with thev cylinder, a rotary`automatic valve adapted to close said.

channels, and a slidevalve controlling the communication between saidcylinder and channels.

2. A rotary engine comprising a stationary cylinder, a rotatable pistontherein, a shaft carrying said piston, the side of said cylinder havingsegmental channels communicating v.

with the cylinder, a steamchestsurroundin g vsaid channels, a rotaryvalve. within said steam-chest and having an opening in a line with saidchannels, and a slide-valve' con. trolling the communication between thesegmental channels and. the cylinder.

'3. A rotaryengine comprising arotatable Ashafta cylinder surroundingthe same, a

.- p istonc'arried l bythe shaft; within the cylinder and composed ofavertically-disposed disk having openings extending transverse thereof,steam engaging lwings carried by said disk, ya 'vertically disposedchamben carriedcylinder, a verticallydisposed circuinferenftialnarrowmember carried by the piston and;

having openings extending vtransversetheref of, laterally-extendingsteam engaging wings 1 carriedby said circumferential narrow memberavertically-disposed chamber carried by theupper end of said cylinder, averticallymoving slide within said chamber and having a slot adaptedtoreceive said vertically-dis posedfcircumferential narrow member, and`means :for raising and lowering` said slideat 6o theproper time. f y

5. A rotary engine comprising va rotatable shaft, a cylinder surroundingthe same, a ve'rtically-.disposed piston having- Openingsiex-- tendingtransverse thereof and steam engag- 'ing ings carriedby the sides ofsaid piston between said openin gs.

. 6.A rotary engineeomprisinga rotatable bringing the recess L in theslide opposite the shaft, a cylinder surrounding the same, Va pistoncarried by the shaftand rotating within the cylinder, the side lof saidcylinder having 7c a segmental expansionchamber` provided withinlet-openings, a steam-chest surrounding said openings, a rotary valvewithin said y. steam-chest, and havingan opening in a lineY with thesaid segmental recess, a sliding valve closing the upper end of saidsegmental chan ber, substantially as described.

7. A rotary engine comprising a rotatable shaft, a cylinder surroundingthe same, apisf ton carried by the shaft androtating within 8o thecylinder, the sideof said cylinder having exhaust and inlet openings, asteam-chest surrounding the yshaft and said openings, a slide-valvebetween said cylinder andjchestc and covering said openings,'and arotaryvalve 8 5 carried bythe shaft withinsaid chest, subi: stantiallyasdescribed g 8. A rotary engine comprising arotatable shaft, a cylindersurrounding the same, a' pis? toncarried by the sh aft and rotatingwithin the 9 cylinder, the side of said cylinderhaving inlet and exhaustopenings, aslide-valve adapted', to slide across said openings, the sideof said cylinder also having segmental expansionchambers incommunication with the inlet- .95 openings,asteam-chestsurroundingtheshaft and said segmental chambers, and arotary@ valve mounted upon the shaft vwithin the steam-chest,substantiallyas describedl n 9. A rotary, engine, comprising a rotarylloo I shaft, a cylinder surrounding the same, a pis-f,

-ton carried by the shaft and rotating within the cylinder, the side ofsaid `cylinder having inlet and exhaust openings, a slidefvalvecov-I 1ering said openings, the ,side lof said cylinder also having segmentalexpansion-chambers: in communication with the inlet-openings, a

steam-chest surrounding the shaft andsaid,

segmental chambers, a rotary member within the steam-chest and anoutwardly-extending,11o

flange carried by said rotary member and cov-A4 ering said segmentalchambers andhaving an opening in a linetherewith, s ubstantiallyfasdescribed. c f

l0. A'rotary engine comprising a cylinder, I 15 inwardlyextendingflanges carried by the side thereof, a rotary piston composed of vanenlarged hub portion, a vertically-disposednar: `row disk-shapedVportion extending Ibetween the inwardly-extending flanges of thecylinder.: I 2o and having two transverse openings, wings carried bysaid vertical portion between said openings 'and entirely iillingv theportion of the cylinder above the flanges, and means for admitting steamto said cylinder on either. side of said wings, substantiallyasdescribed.l 11. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a a rotarypistontherein and composedof-fay verticallyfdisposed narrow disk, wings; carried by said di sl a slide adapted tofstr'addlel- 13o said disk, andmeans for instantaneously raisingand lowering said slide, to allow thewings to pass, substantially' as described. l

,12 A rotary engine comprising a cylinder,4

a rotary shaft passing therethrough, an enlarged rotary piston mountedthereon, a circumferential narrow member carried by the outercircumference of said piston vand engaging the inner circumference ofthe cylinder, inwardly-extending circular flanges carried by the sidesof said cylinder and resting upon the outer circumferences of thepiston, and laterally-extending wings carried by said circumferentialnarrow member.

13. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a rotary shaft therein, apiston within the cylinder and carried by the shaft, the side of saidcylinder having an enlarged recess therein and inlet and exhaustopenings extending therefrom to the interior of the cylinder, segmentalexpansion-recesses communicating with the lower end of said enlargedrecess, a slidewithin said enlarged recess and having' a vertical recessin its lower face and a transverse opening communicating with theinletopening in the side of the cylinder, a steamchest surrounding saidvalve and segmental chambers, and a rotary spool having an opening inthe path of said segmental chambers, substantially as described.

14. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a rotary shaft passingtherethrough, a piston carried by the shaft, the side of said cylinderhaving an enlarged recess in one side and exhaust-openings incommunication therewith and the interior of the cylinder and arranged ina horizontal line, and segmental slots in communication with the lowerend of said recess, a slide Within said recess and adapted to cover thetwo central inlet-openings and one of the outer exhaust-openings, theunder side of said slide having an upwardly extending recess, andtransverse openings communicating therewith and with one of saidinletopenings, a steam chest surrounding said segmental slots, a rotaryspool within said chest and carried by said shaft, anoutwardly-extending fiange carried by the spool adjacent the side of thecylinder and having an opening therein in a line with said segmentalslot, substantially as described.

15. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, the side ofsaid cylinder having segmental expansion -recesses therein, and havinginlet openings communicating with said cylinder, the side 0f saidcylinder having a transverse recess in communication with the segmentalrecesses, and a slide within said transverse recess, substantially asdescribed.

16. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, the side ofsaid cylinder having segmental expansion-recesses therein and havinginlet-openings communicating with said cylinder, an enlarged recessabove the segmental recesses and in communication therewith and havingexhaust-openings in communication therewith and a slide-valve adapted tocover said inlet and exhaust openings, substantially as described.

17. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, the side ofsaid cylinder havin g. a segmental expansion-recess therein, an enlargedrecess above the segmental recess and communicating therewith, andhaving two inner inlet-openings and an exhaust on each side of saidinlet-openings, and a slide within the enlarged upper recess and havingan opening adapted to communicate with one of said inlet-openings andthe segmental recess, substantially as described.

18. A' rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, theside ofsaid cylinder having two segmental expansion-recesses therein, anenlarged recess above the segmental recesses and in communication withthe upper end and having two inlet-openings and an exhaustopening oneach side of said inletopenings, and a slide within the enlarged upperrecess and of a length to cover the two inlet-openings and oneexhaust-opening, and said slide having a recess communicating with oneof said segmental recesses and one of said inlet-openings, substantiallyas described. i

19. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, the side ofsaid cylinder having two segmental recesses therein, and an enlargedupper recess in communication with the upper end of said segmentalrecesses, and having inlet and exhaust openings therein, a slide-valvein said upper enlarged recess, a steam-chest surrounding said recesses,and a rotary valve within said chest and having an opening incommunication with said segmental recesses, substantially as described.

20. A rotary engine comprising a rotatable shaft, a cylinder, a pistonwithin the cylinder and composed of a vertically-disposed disk havingopenings extending transverse there.- of, steam engaging wings carriedby the side of said disk, and a vertically-moving slide within saidchamber having a slot adapted to receive said vertically-disposeddisk.

21. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, the side ofsaid cylinder having segmental expansion chambers in communication withthe cylinder, a rotary valve communicating with the sides of saidexpansion-chambers, and a slide-valve controlling the ripper ends ofsaid expansion-chamber.

22. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder, a shaft passingtherethrough, a piston within the cylinder on said shaft, anoutward-extending disk-shaped member carried by the piston,laterally-extending wings carried by said disk-shaped member, a slidecarried by the cylinder and having avertical slot adapted to receivesaid disk-shaped member, an upwardly-extending arm carried by the slideand passing through the cylinder, a cam on said shaft, anintermediate]y-pivoted lever having one end connected to theupwardlyextending arm and a connection between saidintermediately-pivoted lever and said cam.

23. A rotary engine comprising a rotatable shaft, a cylindersurroundingthe same, a ver- ICO IIO

tically-disposed piston having openings eX-I tending transverse thereof,steam engaging Wings carried by the sides of said piston bev tween saidopenings and aslide having avertical slot adapted to receive theverticallydisposed piston.

24. A rotary engine comprising arotatable shaft, a cylinder surroundingthe same, a vertically-disposed piston having openings eX- tendingtransverse thereof, steam engaging Wings carried by the sides of saidpiston between said openings and supply and exhaust openings `carried byone side of said cylinder.

25. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a rotary shaft passingtherethrough, an enlarged rotary piston mounted thereon, acircumferential narrowr member carried by the outer circumference ofsaid piston vand engaging the inner circumference of the cylinder andhavingopenings extending transversely therethrough, inwardlyextendingcircular flangescarried by the sidesof the cylinder and resting upon theouter circumference of the piston, laterally-extending Wings carriedbythe vertical circumferential narrow member, and a slide having anopening adapted to receive the said vertical circumferential narrowmember.

26. A rotary engine comprising a rotatable shaft, cylinders surroundingsaid shaft, pis-A tons carried by said shaft Within thecylinders,vertically-,disposed circumferential narrow members carried bythe pistons and having openings'extending therethrough at differentparts thereof inrespect to each other, Wings carried by said narrowmembers adjacent the openings, the adjacent sides of said cylindershaving segmental expansion-chambers therein and openings connecting theupper, ends thereof With ythe said r cylinders, steam-chests connectingthe adjacent sides of said cylinders and rotary spools carried by theshaft Within said steam-chests and having openings therein registeringwith the segmental chambers and arranged at diiferentv points in respectto the wings carried by theA respective cylinders.

' In testimony whereof We have hereunto setour hands in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES n. cADoo. v Josnrn M. VAN' WHY.

' Witnesses:y

H. K. FUHRMAN, l. LEWIS E. WRIGHT.

